


The Letter

by Vanyel



Category: Team Fortress 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 01:50:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6884065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanyel/pseuds/Vanyel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>52 for 52, week 4: A story about three siblings</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Letter

The door to the cabin slammed open, snapping Mama out of the daze she’d fallen into over her mending. She smiled as Bronislava called out, “We’re home, with dinner!” and slammed the door closed behind her.

“It is bear. Again.” Yana’s oh-so-subtly veiled complaint followed like clockwork. They set down the heavy corpse in the kitchen, quickly moving back to the fireplace to get warm.

Helping Mama lift the bear’s corpse onto the cutting board, Zhanna smiled at her sisters huddled by the roaring fire. “Another letter came from Misha today,” she informed them, pulling a blank sealed envelope out of her pocket and catching their attention. “Along with a government man tracking it.”

“Ah, that explains it,” Yana said almost nonchalantly from her chair, nodding in realization. “I thought the scarecrow looked a little bit bigger than he did when we left. Any trouble with him?”

Zhanna waved her off with a soft snort. “This idiot didn’t even remember to have the gun properly loaded before approaching the house. They’re getting a lot lazier in their assaults, must be forgetting about us.”

“Better they forget about us than try to hurt my babies,” Mama’s voice echoed from the kitchen, waving a fur-covered paw to drive her point home. The three sisters laughed softly; if the man attacking them ever crossed Mama, they would find out how one woman managed to raise four children on her own. It would not be pretty.

———————-

After the usual meal of tough bear meat, everyone crowded around the end of the table excitedly as Bronislava opened the letter. Their brother’s simple yet elegant handwriting covered the page.

“Hello to the most loveliest ladies in the world,” Bronislava read, smiling a little. “I’m hoping you got this letter some time before the heavy snow comes down and the post cottage is too far. It is snowing here in America too, but it is but it is more of a fluffy, pretty dusting over everything than real snow. Russian winters are much heartier, just like the people. But it is nice to look out of the window and see a little bit of something that reminds me of home. It is almost 1 week until Christmas when I am writing this too you. Spy-”

Yana squealed shrilly, snatching the paper from Bronislava. “The Spy? The handsome mystery man with no face? Did he draw him again?”

“Hey!” Bronislava pulled the paper back towards herself, careful not to rip it. “It’s my turn to read Misha’s letter!”

‘But I want to read about the Spyyyyyyyyyyyy!”

Mama took the paper while her daughters continued arguing, shaking her head with a smile. “Spy showed me a way to send the packages to you without them being traced, and Sniper-” Zhanna moved to catch the “swooning” Bronislava- “Sniper helped me choose a few good presents for each of you. Hopefully they arrive some time before the new year!”

“I am running out of paper, as you can probably tell. Just wanted to remind you all that I love you and miss you, and I will be coming home to visit you as soon as I can.”

“Yours, Misha the Heavy.”

Mama set the letter on the table as the sisters finally sat back down in their chairs. “How nice of him. All these nice going-ons and he still thinks of his family.” She stretched an arm around Zhanna, the child closest to her, who hugged Yana and Bronislava in return. “A lovely boy, just like all my lovely daughters.”


End file.
